


Doctors are also Gardeners

by RainbowPebbles



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Doctor/Patient, Hanahaki Disease, Koujaku being a prick, M/M, doctor mink, hanahaki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 06:24:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16341506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowPebbles/pseuds/RainbowPebbles
Summary: Aoba has been sick with Hanahaki disease for several years now. So what happens when his new specialist is a tall, dark drink of water who's so built he'd climb him like a tree. Everything.





	Doctors are also Gardeners

**Author's Note:**

> I'd been thinking of this idea for awhile, and finally said fuck it, writing it. I need this in my life.  
> It turned from a oneshot into a fucking 23 page write-a-thon. Woops.  
> Thank you and good night.

Hanahaki Disease. A fictional disease in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from  unrequited love. It ends when the beloved returns their feelings (romantic love only; strong friendship is not enough), or when the victim dies. It can be cured through surgical removal, but when the infection is removed, the victim's romantic feelings for their love also disappear. 

However, sometimes the feelings are so strong that the surgical process never works and it returns. That was the case for Aoba Seragaki. He'd had the surgery to remove the damn sickness 5 different times, to the point his doctor refused to remove it again.

“The only thing I can suggest is going to therapy for your issues.”

“Are you kidding me!?” Aoba shouted, standing from his seat as his doctor explained how moral dilemma. 

“I'm sorry Mr. Seragaki. But...I can't keep cutting you open to remove something if it keeps coming back. Hanahaki is something that normally shouldn't come back. Unless of course you're still—I thought the surgery would fix it though!” Aoba cut the man off, slumping back into his chair as tears filled his eyes before dripping down his cheeks. 

“Aoba...I'd also like to direct you to a specialist.”

“What do you mean?” He asked, looking up as he wiped his eyes with one of his hands. 

“There's a medical professional who's studying the Hanahaki Disease; causes, treatment types and your case may be of interest to him.”

“You think he might be able to get it to go away?” Aoba asked now, sniffling as the doctor handed him the business card for his associate. 

“If not, he may be able to explain why it continues to come back.” Even if the doctor in question already knew the cause. 

 

Aoba had been a chronic victim of the Hanahaki Disease for the last year and a half. It was a tale of true misery and woe really. After his childhood friend and college roommate both confessed their feelings for him, Aoba declined them both as he needed to “sort out his feelings” about both of them. 

He had taken too long, and the two of them each found themselves falling for each other. Inside, it broke his heart. He couldn't figure which one he had wanted at the time but now he was left alone and with a chronic Hanahaki. 

Aoba felt uncomfortable as he sat in the warm waiting room to see this new specialist. The bluenette hummed softly, looking back to the appointment card in his fingers. 

“Mink” was simply the only name for the doctor. That was it. Nothing more, nothing less. Kind of odd for the name of a well known doctor. He sighed, looking back to the clock hanging on the wall, simply lost in the sound of the 'tick” 'tick' 'tick' of it. 

He jumped a little in his seat as he heard the receptionist phone ring at the desk and a brief exchange. The person behind the desk was a young man, with snow white hair and purple eyes. 

“He's waiting for you. You can go ahead in.” he told him, smiling from behind the scarf he wore. The man was an odd duck but Aoba nodded, moving from his seat to open the door and walking to the office and past the various examination rooms. 

A brief knock of knuckles to the wooden door with the doctors name plague on it and a gruff sounding voice responded. “Yes?”

Aoba poked his head in nervously. “Uh...I-I'm your 2 o clock?” 

The male snorted a little, looking down at a file on the desk. He was tanned, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail; although the dreads looked a little out of place. Glasses perched on his nose. 

“You don't sound sure about that.” he remarked, lifting a hand and motioning for him to come in before pointing at the seat in front of the desk. 

Aoba quickly moved into the room, closing the door behind him before taking a seat. The two of them sat quietly for a moment, Aoba simply wringing his hands in his lap tightly. “U-Um...” he spoke softly. The man looked up at that, finally closing his file. 

“You have quite a case.”

“I just...want it gone.” Aoba admitted quietly, looking away from the man in question. He was a bit older, actually he was quite older. But the man did feel some sympathy. Young love was hard, even more so with this condition that was afflicting the younger male. 

It made it hard to move on from past heartbreaks. 

“I can understand. The first thing we need to do is find the outlining cause. Now with Hanahaki that's an...obvious per-requisite.” 

Aoba hated this part of any medical discussion. 

“Isn't it in my file?” he asked, really hopeful he didn't need to explain it. 

“Yes, but I'd like more detail from you.”

Aoba sighed, propping his cheek up with one of his hands. 

“I had two people who were wanting a committed relationship with me. However, I liked both of them and asked them to give me time to think on the situation. I...took too long.” he admitted. “They fell for each other instead.”

Mink hummed, opening the file on the desk before writing some notes down in it. “I see.”

“It wasn't intentional! It's just...” Aoba bit his lip. “Koujaku's always been a friend of mine since we were kids! And Noiz was my college roommate! It's...a little harder then just 'pick one' and hope for the best!” he blurted out, throwing his head back with a groan. 

“So what made it so hard?”

“I don't really know, maybe because they were both super wonderful pe--” Aoba stopped mid sentence as he broke into a loud and massive amount of coughing. Mink stood, quickly moving from behind the desk and to his side. 

Aoba felt the petals slipping out past his lips and into his hands as the coughs subsided. 

“It's alright. Breathe.” Mink reassured him, a hand on his back in a comforting fashion. Odd thought there for Aoba. Comforting didn't seem like this guys style, but maybe it was a doctor thing. 

Slowly, Aoba moved his hands away from his face and stared down at the petals in his hands. Surprised to see a combination of petals and actual flowers. He sighed. 

“Do you normally cough up fully formed flowers?” Mink asked him, lifting one bright yellow flower from the others hands to inspect it. 

“Only after the 3rd time I had the infection removed.”

“I see...” Mink stared at the flower in thought for a moment. “I want to give you a full physical if that's alright. See what I can do about this...constant affliction.”

Aoba looked up at Mink now, worry on both their faces. “Is it serious?” He asked and Mink nodded. “Yes. Very.” he told him. “The last time I've seen the fully formed flowers is...well when the infection is close to taking the persons life.”

Aoba's face went pale, eyes wide. “Y....You mean I'm going to die?”

“I didn't say that.” Mink responded. “I said when it's close. Since we caught this early enough we can see about doing something about it.”

“Like what?”

Mink reached for Aoba's file again, opening it as he flipped through the pages. 

“For starters.” Mink looked up at Aoba from the brim of the file. “Therapy.”

“Oh come on!” Aoba shouted, glaring at him. “My last doctor said the same fucking thing!” he shouted, resulting in a hiccup that resulted in a red petal leaving his mouth. Aoba blushed, feeling embarrassed. Damn it all. 

“The therapy may help. You have not one, but two rejected romances. It makes the infection ten times worse.” Mink explained, staring at the other with gold eyes. 

Aoba sighed again. “Fine. If...it helps.”

“Second, I'm going to see if I can't remove the entire thing. From what I'm seeing, the doctor before didn't remove the entire infection the previous times. It's why it may be coming back.”

“What if this doesn't work?”

“Well...” Mink explained, closing the file and moving to put it into the file cabinet. “You'll just have to find someone else to fall in love with.”

 

“This sucks!” Aoba shouted, pacing his living room now as he explained to his grandmother the result of his doctor visit. 

“Can't be helped. You had to muck things up in such a way you have to take drastic measures now to fix it.”

Aoba whined, flopping face first onto the couch. “Granny, what do I do!? I already had one therapy session with the person the damn doctor suggested and already they're telling me what to do!”

“That's part of their job. It's not “telling” you what to do it's giving advice. Which you've never been good at taking to begin with so there's your major issue.”

The woman sighed, taking a sip of her tea. “When do you see this doctor again?”

“Tomorrow. He wants to run tests; blood work, sugar levels, heart rate, x-rays.”

“X-rays? What for?”

“For the hanahaki. Says that the new machine's they have can get a rather clear and damn near perfect picture of the inside of the chest and lungs where the hanahaki grows. He wants to find the main spot where it's all resting.”

“I see...”

“I'm worried.”

“Why are you worried?” the woman asked. “You've had this for years, it's not like you're going to die.” Aoba flinched, and his grandmother caught it clear as day. “...Aoba.” she whispered. He sat up now, looking her in the face. 

“Mink says my case is special because I have two rejections at once. It makes the disease harder to treat and makes it ten times worse. More aggressive.”

“Why didn't you tell me sooner?”

“I didn't want you to worry.” 

SMACK.

Aoba yelped, holding onto his head tightly as his grandmother had just hit him hard with her slipper. “

“You stupid grandson! Why didn't you say anything sooner!?”

“I was worried about upsetting you!”

“I'm upset because you didn't tell me!” she shouted before sitting back down. “Honestly. I want to help you with this but you keep putting people at a distance for stupid reasons. Let us help you Aoba. You deserve that.”

 

The results came back from the testing in 6 days, and the moment they did Mink was awestruck. The sugar levels were normal, blood was fine, but it was the X-ray and chest ultra sound that had him just...struck by this.

“This is...very beneficial and very vital.” he whispered, looking over the results as Clear handed them to him. 

“He looked perfectly healthy to me when he came in. I never thought it'd be this bad.” Clear frowned. “It's so sad.”

Mink looked over to the silver haired male he worked with. “Sad?”

“Just...this is only caused from years of stewing right? All the blossoms and flowers in his chest?”

Mink nodded, looking over the x-ray blown up on the wall. The flowers were all over his lungs, that was certain. Howeve the pain problem was right under the breast bone. Right on his heart. THAT was where the focal point of the disease was. Explained why the doctors before never could remove it all, and why it kept coming back. 

“I need to make a phone call Clear.”

The male nodded, seeing himself out. 

Mink walked over to his file cabinet, and removed Aoba's file to locate the phone number. It still amazed him really, all the flowers and everything not only in the lungs but also in his heart. It..made him feel. His own sister having succumb to the unrequited love of her own before passing away from it. 

He wouldn't let the same thing happen to this young man who had so much life left to live. The phone rang a few times before a sleep ridden voice answered. 

“Mello?” he whispered into the receiving end, yawning. Mink almost found it endearing, but the matter at hand was more important then a sleep ridden 20 something year old. 

“Aoba, it's Mink.” that seemed to immediately wake the boy up. “Oh! G-Good morning!” he blurted out, sounding awake. 

“Sleep well?” he couldn't help but tease.

“I-I slept fine! Thank you for asking! I-I've been awake for hours actually so you got me at a good time!”

“Uh huh.” he snorted, smirking as he heard the kid try to recover. “Anyway, I wanted to let you know your results came back in this morning.”

“O-Oh.” the sudden deflation in his voice alarmed him a little, but not too much so. “How...is everything?”

“Well, your blood work, and the like came back perfectly normal. Which is good. However the x-rays...are something else entirely. I'd like to see you today if possible.” 

Aoba nodded on the other end of the phone before quickly realizing he was on the phone. “O-Of course! W-When?”

“As soon as you can.”

 

Aoba skipped breakfast and quickly made his way to the doctor's office. Clear, the man he'd come to know through his various visits, welcomed him with a sad smile. “You can head in. He's cleared the rest of the day.”

That...put Aoba on alarm just a little. Why was the day cleared just to go over some results? “Is it that serious?” Aoba asked Clear, expecting an answer. The male blinked and quickly looked away. “W-Well...” 

“Aoba.” the two of them looked up to see Mink had come to meet him in the lobby. The bluenette smiled a little, trying to crack a joke to lighten the mood. “Wow, you're coming to get me from the lobby? How gentlemanly.” he teased, making Clear laugh a little as well. Mink rolled his eyes, holding the door open for the other enough to let him walk past. 

As soon as they were alone, Mink spoke. 

“We found the cause of your repeated condition.”

“Really!?” Aoba shouted, looking excited before taking note of the look on Mink's face. It was a mixture of a few different things; resentment for some odd reason, but also concern and damn near if Aoba didn't think he saw determination in the man's eyes. But it was a small sliver, so he wasn't sure if that was right.

“Isn't...that good news?” he found himself asking, brows knitting together now in thought. 

“Yes, it should be. But your condition is...well it's different.” Mink sighed, standing and walking across the room of his office to turn on the X-ray display he had set up for patient consultations. The moment Aoba saw it, he cried. His breath hitching in the back of his throat and his body began to shake. 

All over his heart, his lungs, every inch of his upper chest was covered in the hanahaki. If it had been someone else's X-ray, Aoba might have thought it beautiful. Like some dark and morbid art piece. But this was different. This was his life being put at risk because of this stupid sickness. 

“I'm angry because your previous doctor didn't look everywhere for the main source.” Mink explained, trying to be delicate with the crying young man in his office. “Right here.” he pointed to the dead center of Aoba's chest cavity. “Is where the main source of the infection is. In truth...” Mink took a moment, not trying to be dramatic or anything but because his next course of words might put Aoba in a panic. 

“I am...very surprised you're still alive.” He was never good at sugar coating things. Right now was no different. 

Aoba nodded, not even sure he could blink really. His eyes were glued to that X-ray for a moment, tears just constantly coming out. “So...I'm going to die then? There's no hope?” he asked, voice weak and shaking. 

“I didn't say that.” Mink told him, shutting the light box off now. The boy was getting more and more upset by looking at it, so it'd be better to just have him stop looking at it. Walking over, Mink grabbed a tissue before handing it to the other male. Aoba took it with shaking hands and wiped his face. 

“...Are you going to be alright? Is there someone I may need to call for you?” He asked now. In cases like this, when someone finds out such dire news Mink has seen them go drastic measures. 

“My grandmother...” he whispered, wiping his face again. Well, that was good. He'd need to have some support going into the next half of the conversation. Aoba gave Mink his phone for him to find the number and the man dialed it quickly. 

Explaining the situation to the woman, as soon as he said the words “He needs someone to come and support him at the moment.”, she dropped everything and rushed right down. However it would be a few minutes until she arrived; she was an old woman going all the way across town, of course it would. 

In the meantime, Mink would sit with Aoba and get to know him a little better. See if he could calm him down a little. 

“So...why don't you have a last name?” Aoba asked him, tilting his head. 

“Oh, I do. I just prefer my privacy.”

“Privacy?” 

Mink snorted. “You have any idea how many patients or other people try and find me on the internet and not for my medical advice?”

“Oh, like having your first name out there for the world to see makes it easier?” he asked, raising a brow. Mink snorted again, smirking. 

“Alright then, let me prove a point. Open your social media on your phone and look up my first name. Go ahead.”

Aoba raised a brow, tilting his head but complied none the less. He blinked, and it took only 5 seconds for him to start laughing. When Aoba had typed Mink's name into the search bar, all that came up was a page to support the wild animals. That was it. 

“Oh my god. That's the best way to say 'fuck you' to anyone ever. Holy shit that's genius.” Aoba admitted, body still shaking as he laughed. Mink felt a small smirk coming to his lips, leaning back into his chair now. “Exactly.” he told him, reaching into his desk drawer and pulling out a slim box. Inside, was a very nice looking pipe. Aoba didn't peg the man for a smoker. 

“You smoke? I thought all doctors said smoking is bad.”

“Family tradition. My ancestry dates all the way back to the indigenous people of Northern America. What most basic white girls call “Native American”.” he cringed a little, feeling his face sneer in response. “I can't understand people and their obsession with my culture, it's disgusting.” 

Aoba tilted his head. “How so?” he asked, moving and sitting on Mink's desk now, seeming to be more relaxed. That was a good sign. 

“Well for starters, they think wearing headdresses are “cool” and “trendy” at events like music festivals and Halloween. And don't get me STARTED on that shitty ass Thanksgiving horse shit.” Aoba found himself smiling, giggling a little at this. From the first time Aoba had met Mink, he thought the man was a bit cold and...well a stone wall. 

But after a month or so of actually seeing him and getting to know him through his medical practice, he found the man had a lot of amazing qualities...but also a few bad like any other person. 

Mink took a drag of his pipe to calm himself down, letting the smoke drift into the air. To Aoba, it had a rather sweet smell which was surprising. 

“So...I have a question but I feel if I ask it I'll get smacked.”

Mink rose an eyebrow before nodding. “Ask away. I'll give you a freebie.” he seemed to sense the question context long before Aoba had even opened his mouth. Plus...he was a doctor. Damn that Hippocratic oath. 

“That pipe.”

“About it?”

“Well...” Aoba took a deep breath, placing his hands together before asking. “Is that what you'd call a peace pipe?”

Mink made a blank face. “You were worried about that being offensive?”

“Well I don't know what you take as offensive.” Aoba shrugged, Mink could only smirk as he chuckled a little. And Aoba found that small laughter to be soothing. What was going on with him today?

“Well if you had said something along the lines of “smoke um peace pipe” then yes, I would have been rather offended. That's an old stereotype that I've been trying to educate people about for years.”

“I have another question.”

“Full of them, aren't you.”

“...How old are you?” 

Well, that surprised Mink as he put his pipe out now, taking note of the time. He didn't want to be seen smoking in front of Aoba's grandmother. That may or may not cause him problems later. 

“42.” he simply said and Aoba just...stopped dead in his line of thought. 

“There is no way.”

“See for yourself.” Mink challenged, pulling out his drivers license and sure enough, there it stood. 

09/26/1976

“Woah...” Aoba said, simply staring for a moment. “That's...something else. So you're like...” Aoba tapped his chin for a few moments in thought before blinking. “So we're 18 years apart then?”

“Indeed.”

Aoba really studied Mink's features and face for a moment longer now. The man did NOT look like he was 42 years old. He was well toned if not built from the way his clothing fit on him and he just...looked well off. 

“I have one more question.”

“Rather invasive today, huh? Are you this chatty with your therapist?” Mink asked and he noticed how Aoba flinched back. “I take that as a no.”

“I hate going to Therapy. I absolutely hate it.”

“Do you listen to their advice?”

Aoba shrugged, looking away. “She's a stuck up woman. She has this 'holy roller' attitude like she's better then everyone else.” he admitted to Mink, and the man couldn't help but smile. 

“Alright. Ask away.”

“Why aren't you married?”

That caught both of them off guard.  
Mink, because it was unexpected.  
Aoba, because it just came out of his mouth without him thinking about if it was an appropriate question. Que the over apologetic side of Aoba. 

“I-I'm sorry! I was just curious, you don't have to answer, I'm sorry I—Stop.” Mink cut him off, holding up a hand as he stood. Oh fuck, he'd upset the man. Mink reached out to simply place a hand on Aoba's head, which startled the other. Mink moved in close, his face mere inches from Aoba's now, their noses almost touching and that's when the bluenette caught the faintest scent of cinnamon coming off the other. 

“Curiosity is fine. You don't have to constantly apologize, it's cute but it does drive me a little crazy.” Aoba nodded now. 

“And the reason I'm not married well...” the man smirked. “That's a long story for another time.” and with that, he pulled back. That left Aoba feeling a little sad, but there was no way the man would have moved in more. Ironically enough, he met Mink because he had un-returned feelings for two people. So...why was his heart beating so fast when Mink touched him? 

He shook it off as the phone on Mink's desk rang, and he answered. 

“Yes?”

“Thank you.” Mink hung up the phone and looked to Aoba. “Your grandmother is here.”

Aoba quickly got off the desk, moving to the door before it was abruptly slammed open, nearly hitting him in the face. 

“Where is he!?” the woman shouted, looking rather distressed. 

“B-Baachan...” Aoba stuttered. The woman quickly moved, embracing him.

“Are you alright!? What's going on!?”

Aoba sighed. “It's alright. I'm fine...for the most part.”

The elderly woman looked from Aoba to Mink, who still stood at his desk watching the entire thing play out. 

“Is this your doctor?”

“Oh! Yes! Uh, granny this is Mink, he's a specialist in the field that's trying to find a way to get rid of Hanahaki disease.”

“I see...” she looked the man up and down before looking to Aoba. “He has the same physical type as Koujaku.”

“BAA-CHAN!” Aoba blurted out, cheeks turning bright red now. The woman smirked at Aoba. “When you said he was dishie, I didn't expect this.”

Mink blinked, raising an eyebrow. “Dishie?”

“Oh my god.” Aoba said, simply slumping down into a chair, holding his head with his hands in embarrassment. 

“That's a term I haven't heard in years.”

“He probably got it from me. I'd say that often when he was growing up.”

“GRANNY STOP.” Aoba begged, embarrassment on every inch of him. 

Mink looked to the curled up form in the chair, and simply ruffled the blue hair. Aoba whined. 

“This is punishment for some evil crime I committed in a past life, isn't it?”

 

The discussion about treatment was very direct and to the point. Aoba's grandmother was a no nonsense lady, so Mink could easily go into discussion about it with her. 

“We will have to go in to remove the major masses. Whatever is left, he'll have to see if we can't treat with various medication and the like. Now...these medications are somewhat new and still being tested on.”

“So they're new and you have no idea's what the side effects are?”

“Correct. There is a risk with them, but...given the situation.”

“How long do you think my grandson has without it?”

“Honestly,” Mink looked from the woman to Aoba now, noting the ashen look on his face. He didn't want to scare him, but the truth of the matter needed to be said. 

“6 months to a year, if lucky.” 

“Do it.”

Both men looked startled, but a little relieved that she agreed to it. “B-Baachan?”

“Aoba, I raised you from a young child to a fully grown man. I accepted every part of you from when you told me you didn't like sports to when you finally told me you were gay.” cue the bright red face again. Damn that woman for outing him in front of Mink. 

“However, I won't accept the giving up. I'll force that medication down into your very throat if I have to. I refuse to lose you like I lost my beloved only daughter.”

“Did your daughter have—no, no.” she cut off Mink. “She...well that's a complicated situation.”

“Even I don't know that story.” Aoba admitted. 

“Alright fine, I'll make you a deal. You do this, all the treatments and the like, and I'll tell you. Alright, Aoba?”

The blue haired male smiled. “Alright, I'll take you on that.”

Mink found the relationship between the two to be a good sign. A good standing really. But it did raise a lot of questions he had. 

“So we'll need to schedule a surgery date. But sadly the only time I seem to have available to book a room is in a month. Till then, we can start you on the medication dosage. See how it goes.”

“Until then?” Aoba asked. 

“I'll monitor your condition, make sure it isn't getting worse be it due to Hanahaki or due to the medication. “

Aoba actually felt a bit...excited that he'd continue to see the doctor. Why he was so excited, he wouldn't understand. It was...almost like when he'd started to feel excited when he saw Koujaku and Noiz. That thought actually brought a squirm to his stomach and he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. It was odd. 

 

“You're having another surgery!?” Koujaku shouted, causing Aoba to flinch and people to stare at them in the cafe the three men sat at.

“It's not that big of a deal.” Aoba told him. 

“The last 5 times didn't work. Why would this time be any different!?” Koujaku yelled. Noiz glared. “Relax hippo.” the blonde told him. 

Koujaku groaned, sitting down in his seat and running his fingers through his hair. “I just don't understand why you keep having the surgeries if they don't work.” he hissed low. “Is it a masochist thing? Do you enjoy them cutting you open and shit?”

“Koujaku please it's—I have half a mind to tell that doctor of yours what I think. I'd march right up to him and give him a piece of my mind!” Koujaku scowled. 

Aoba sighed, rubbing his forehead. 

“What exactly would you tell him?” Noiz asked, smirking at his boyfriend. 

“Oh I'll tell you.” Koujaku declared, simply taking a large swig from his coffee cup and ignoring the siring burn he felt. 

Unknown to Aoba or his friends, Mink was in line at that very cafe that morning. While waiting for his coffee, he'd heard a very familiar voice but waited. Dramatic timing this time? Absolutely. And he would enjoy watching the outbursting male become uncomfortable when he realized exactly who he was. 

“I'd march right up to him, look him straight in the eye and tell him 'Listen here bean counter!” 

What, was he an accountant now? Dear god, the man needed to get his terminology right. What exactly did Aoba see in this idiot? 

“If you think I'm going to let you cut open my friend again just to see if you can't get a moment of glory, I'll—Oh shit.” Aoba cut off Koujaku's story, but the man continued going until he saw the look on Aoba's face and the confusion on Noiz's. The fuck? 

“Mink, what are you doing here?” 

“Oh that's not fucking funny. Like the guy would suddenly appear behind me.” Koujaku said and Mink smirked now, and Noiz just stared at the man with wide eyes but a shit eating smile. Oh this was going to be beautiful. 

“Anyway, as I was saying. I'd make sure to let him know how fucking immoral and unethical it is to take advantage of someone who's obviously—Well this is interesting.”

Koujaku stopped talking at this point and looked behind him. 

“Uh guys...this is Mink. My doctor.”

“Wait...this is your doctor? Your surgeon?”Koujaku asked. Aoba nodded. 

“What's wrong? You were talking all that good shit a moment ago.” Mink simply said, taking a drink of his coffee now. Koujaku stood up on his feet, glaring at the man. 

“I meant every word. Why the fuck do you want to cut him open again JUST to fail like every other time before? Is this some research study or some shit? Are you using him for a quick moment of glory to further your medical career!?”

“My degree is none of your business, and my diagnosis of the problem is really none of your concern unless the patient decides to share that information with you.” Mink looked to Aoba. “Patient confidentiality. Unless he decides it's alright for me to SHARE with you why I decided what I did. I am a doctor first, my patient always comes before any other motives. So unless you want to respond with that, I'd suggest you shut your mouth and quietly sit. Down.” Mink told him. 

Koujaku looked to Aoba now, concern on his face. “What does he mean by diagnosis?” Noiz looked to Aoba too. 

“Yeah I'm curious myself.” he asked, taking a bite of his scone he had bought. “The hell's going on? We don't see you for weeks and out of the blue you call us here.”

Mink stared at the group and Aoba suddenly began feeling uncomfortable. “Do you want me to tell them?”

“Tell us what?” Koujaku asked, staring at Mink again. Aoba sighed. “Y-Yeah...go ahead.”

Mink looked Koujaku dead in the eye at this point. “Because he's not dealing with one, but TWO romantic shut downs his cases is ten times worse then any other. Not only that, but the doctor who did the surgery before fucked up and missed the major part of the damn sickness. He only took out the parts in his lungs, not the part that's DIRECTLY on his heart. This disease is killing him and by the rate it's going, he'll be dead in 6 months to a year at. BEST.” Koujaku and Noiz had the same expression, if possible for the blonde. It was..dear god it was heartbreaking. It was a disaster. 

“So next time you want to open your mouth and start spouting shit you know nothing about, maybe you should take the time to find out the facts first, KID.” Mink told him, shoving Koujaku back into the chair. Walking around to the other side of the table, he pulled Aoba out of the seat by his arm and began walking away with him. “You're coming with me. I can see it now, those two are bad for your health. Especially the darker haired one.” Mink said, making sure to put as much venom in his words directed at Koujaku as he could. 

“Holy shit...” Noiz said. Koujaku frowned. “Who the fuck does that guy—that was hot.”

“Are you kidding!?” Koujaku blurted out at Noiz, watching the punk snicker in his seat. 

 

Mink's arm was tightly around Aoba's shoulders as he held him close into his side. Aoba normally would have protested to being taken away, but after the way Koujaku acted and after the way Mink stuck up for him...he actually was okay with leaving with him. He found himself burring himself into Mink side, suddenly feeling tired as hell from dealing with Koujaku all morning. Mink said nothing as they walked, which was fine with Aoba. But had did have to wonder what he was thinking. 

They stepped onto the subway train, and the hold got tighter and brought him in closer to the other. 

“...Why did you do that?” Aoba whispered to him, hoping the other could hear him. 

“Because you didn't deserve to be berated like that in public.” Mink responded after a moment, finding his arm on Aoba to bring the other in tighter again, if possible. Aoba simply let the other. 

“He means well...”

“That's absolute horse shit.” Mink told him. “Why would you fall for someone like that is beyond me.” Mink muttered now, staring out the window of the subway and watching the landscape of Tokyo move by them. 

It took Aoba some time to formulate his thoughts after that brief exchange, before he had a startling question. 

“Where are we going?” Aoba asked him softly. Mink looked down at the other, to see a pair of big yellow eyes staring at him. 

“I'm running some errands. When I said I'd be monitoring your health, I meant it. But I didn't expect to run into you at the cafe this morning. That was a coincidence.” 

Aoba smiled a little, laughing some as the train kept going. Eventually, they arrived at a stop and Mink pulled him off the train with him. Aoba was still holding onto him and Mink didn't complain. With the weather getting colder, he actually found it enjoyable. 

“So...”

“So?” Mink asked, looking to Aoba again. 

“You said errands but you never said what we were doing.”

Mink snorted, pulling back from the other now and Aoba felt a little sad for the loss of contact. Which was odd. However that didn't stop him from gripping onto Mink's hand instead. As they walked, Mink spoke. 

“Remember that question you asked the other day?” Mink asked him, he wasn't going to bring it up unless the other prompted.

“Yeah! The one about you not being married, right?”

Mink snorted. “Steel trap memory huh?”

“Sometimes.” 

Mink snorted, shaking his head. “Well...after your grandmother outed you I figured it'd be fine to tell you why.”

Aoba blushed bright red. “Please don't bring her up, that whole day just—It's fine.” Mink told him, stopping now. Mink looked to him. “In a way, I'm glad she outed you like that. I mean, I had a feeling but I didn't want to be rude and just assume.”

“Wait...Mink are you—Yes. I am.”

Aoba blushed bright red and a small smile came to his face. “W-Well thank you for telling me. I feel bad for asking all those invasive questions about your personal life the way I did the other day.”

“It's fine.” Mink told him and they began to walk again. “I guess it's why it bothered me so much the way that man was berating you today.”

“You mean Koujaku?”

“Yes. The way he went on about how it was stupid for you to go and do something you felt was best. It was disgusting.” Aoba frowned, looking down at his feet now as they walked. 

“To be honest with you...he and Noiz wanted me to be with both of them.”

'How so?” Mink asked. 

“Like..a poly thing?”

“It's not uncommon in this day and age. But I take it you didn't want to?”

Aoba nodded. “Y-Yeah. Maybe it was the way I was raised, maybe it was just me but...I don't like sharing personally. “ he admitted to Mink.

“If I'm with someone, I want that person to only think of me and vice versa. I guess that makes me selfish, huh?”

Mink shook his head. “Not at all. I can respect and understand that, seeing as how I'm the same way.” Aoba smiled, finding himself understanding Mink more and more by each exchange of words. 

“Alright, here's our first stop.” Mink told him and Aoba looked up at the store front. It was a shop for various beads and things, which confused Aoba a little. 

Mink let go of his hand, and he felt a little sad at having to break the contact. However, when the door was held open for him he felt a bit of happiness go through his entire body. He was happy. 

Aoba entered the shop and looked through the various beads, strings and charms the shop had to offer. He was particularly drawn to a beautiful strand of crystal beads in various colors. 

“Do you like it?” Mink asked, coming up to stand beside him. Aoba looked to him and nodded.

“Yeah, I do.” Mink hummed in thought for a moment, picking a package off the rack now. 

“I'll have a surprise for you then later.”

“Eh?” Aoba asked, watching as Mink moved and deposited all the items to the cashier. 

“You never answered my question either.”

“Which question?” Mink teased now, causing Aoba to flush pink in his cheeks. 

 

“What we were doing?”

“I make ornaments and sell them in my spare time. Things like dream catchers, hair ornaments, jewelry. It's just a hobby really.”

Aoba looked over the items, tilting his head. “Can I see some?” he asked, looking up at Mink now. Mink nodded. “If you'd like to join me for dinner I can show you after?”

Aoba nodded his head. “I'd like that. A lot.”

 

The rest of the afternoon went by a little too fast for Aoba's liking, but it was still fun. Mink was an interesting man, and Aoba found he enjoyed his company a lot. 

He also found the man actually had a sweet tooth as they went grocery shopping together. But there was a thought that crossed his mind during this. As Mink walked them to his door, Aoba found the strength to voice his thought. 

“Um...Mink?”

“Hm?”

“Is what we did today...allowed? I mean you and me hanging out and doing things?”

“Of course. Why wouldn't it be?” Mink asked, opening the door and letting the other into his home. 

“Oh well I just figured that...you're a doctor and I'm your patient and—you feel that it's unethical or something?” Mink cut him off now and Aoba nodded, cheeks flushed as he gripped the front of his jacket. Mink smiled, placing a hand on his head again like earlier. 

“Are you bothered by this?”

“No.” Aoba said to him.

“Then it's fine.” and with that, Mink moved into his home, removing his shoes by the door and entering toward the kitchen. Aoba followed suit, taking the time to admire the others home. It was so different then his office.

Family photos decorated the walls, tapestries, maps, even dream catchers and ornaments. It was something else entirely. He stopped in front of a photo of a young man and a young woman sitting together. 

“My sister and I.” Mink broke Aoba's train of thought, making the male turn to face the other. 

“You have a sister?”

“Had.” Mink said, looking lost in thought. 

“Oh.” Aoba said, realizing what he meant. “What...happened to her if you don't mind me asking.”

Mink sighed. “That...is a story for another day.” Mink told him, reaching down to tilt Aoba's face up to look at him. “However, I will say you remind me a lot of her.” Aoba blinked, tilting his head.

“I do?”

“Well...temperament and personality wise from what I've seen.” Mink chuckled, brushing his fingers along Aoba's cheek. “Headstrong, easily flustered, loved by a lot of people.” Mink told him. Aoba could see it, a familiar pain in Mink's face. The same pain he'd felt when he was a child growing up without a family other then his grandmother. Reaching up, Aoba gripped onto Mink's hand tightly. 

“Mink...it's obvious it's bothering you. Please, tell me what happened to her.”

Mink sighed now, leading Aoba into the kitchen. 

Aoba took a seat as he brought over a cup and some teabags for them both. “She had hanahaki as well.” Mink told Aoba, and the other's eyes shot open wide. “She...died from that?” he asked and Mink shook his head. 

“No. The pain from the love being unreturned did. She couldn't bare the pain.” Mink looked off now, seeming lost in thought and it didn't take Aoba long to realize what he meant. “Oh..I'm so sorry.”

Mink smiled at Aoba. “It's...alright. She's at peace and while I wish she was here it...did help shape me. Helped me realize my calling to help find a cure.” 

Aoba smiled at Mink, finding a real respect for this doctor. His motives really were of noble intention, and he was beginning to think what Mink had said to Koujaku was more right then he'd care to admit. He'd have to talk to Koujaku later. 

Aoba took a sip of his tea, smiling at the other. “So...is that why you're so adamant about helping me?”

“Part of the reason. Another reason is because well...you're interesting.”

“Interesting in general or interested in me?” Aoba asked him, being bold. 

“Both.”

Aoba's cheeks turned red and the two of them sat in silence for a moment. Aoba's chest was beating so hard and so fast now, he could feel his insides shifting and squirming. Aoba bit his lower lip, looking away from the other now and Mink moved. Slowly he made his way to Aoba's side of the table, lifting his face again. 

“Aoba...”

 

“...Yes?” he whispered, face red now. 

“Can I kiss you?” 

Aoba didn't respond with words, but simply moved in and took the first move. Their lips brushed for a moment before Mink decided to deep it slowly. The older male tasted of that sweet cinnamon, and Aoba found himself being taken in by it. 

To Mink, Aoba tasted sweet but in a different way. Maybe the past few months had changed Aoba. Maybe his hanahaki was disappearing. Maybe...he was feeling things for Mink? The kiss was brief but not because either of them wanted it to be. After all, a coughing fit from Aoba was be an issue. 

Aoba's breathing was rough as he coughed and a mixture of flowers, buds and petals escaped from his mouth. Mink held the other tightly, trying to make sure he would be able to stay sitting up right. 

“It's alright, breathe.” Mink spoke, trying to keep the other calm. Aoba panted, a bit of blood dripping down his chin and Mink wiped it away. 

“I-I'm alright...” he whimpered. His breathing was shaky and he looked as though he was going to faint. 

“Are you sure?”

“Y-Yeah, I'm fi--” Aoba stopped as he broke into another fit of coughing and more of those flowers began to escape his mouth. 

“Aoba!”

It was only a moment before Aoba fainted in Mink's old. The older male didn't hesitate in calling an ambulance. 

 

Aoba's consciousness was a hazy blur over the next few days, but eventually he awoke with a siring pain in his chest and arms. Aoba whined, trying to sit up but was quickly ushered back to the bed by a strong hand. “No, no. You need to stay in bed.”

Aoba whined, looking up to see a familiar face he wasn't expecting to see. 

“K-Koujaku...?” he whined, flinching at the pain in his chest. “Y-You're hurting me...”

“Oh, sorry.” Koujaku pulled back, sitting on the end of the bed. 

“Where's...Where's Mink? And my grandmother? And Noiz?”

“Well in order, Mink is doing some paperwork or some other doctor nonsense” he muttered, looking tensed. “Your grandmother went with Noiz downstairs to get something to eat.” Koujaku stood up. 

“I'll go let them know you're awake.” but Aoba quickly gripped onto the others arm. 

“W-Wait...I want to talk to you.”

“With me?” Koujaku asked, sitting down. “About what?”

“When we were at the cafe and Mink chewed you out.”

“Oh...what about it.”

“He was right.”

“What!?” Koujaku blurted out. “What do you mean he was right!? He's obviously wanting something from you!”

“You don't know him, Koujaku.” Aoba told him, sitting up more now with a grimace. “You're just being a brat!”

“What the hell, Aoba!?”

“I'm serious! You don't know him and wouldn't even give him a chance and decided to form an opinion without knowing the situation!” Aoba grit his teeth. “You...You don't know him.”

Koujaku frowned, averting his gaze before moving and leaving Aoba's room. A few moments passed and Aoba had grown impatient. With a wince, he stood up off the bed, clinging to the IV stand next to him. Making his way to the door, he reached for it before it was opened from the other side. Aoba looked up to see Mink now and he smiled.

“M-Mink!”

“You need to get back into bed Aoba.”

“But—No buts.” Aoba pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“If I refuse?”

Aoba yelped as he was lifted up in one arm, the iv stand following in Mink's other hand. “Woah you're strong.”

“Have to stay in shape in this line of work.” Mink told him as he sat him back down on the bed. 

“But...” Aoba looked away then blinked. “Wait...why am I hear? What happened?”

Mink chuckled. “Still full of questions.” he sighed, sitting with him as he checked his arm to make sure the IV didn't tare. 

“You started having a severe reaction to the Hanahaki. We had to do an emergency removal.” Mink told him, and Aoba looked frightened. “What...What happened?”

Mink looked up at him. “Well...since that X-ray we took last your condition has improved. Be it from the medication or something else.” Mink explained to him. 

“What does that mean for me?”

“Well...you should be fine.” Mink told him. “It was somehow turned from a severe, dire case into minor.” Mink placed a hand on Aoba's shoulder. “You're going to be fine.” 

Aoba smiled at him but Mink still didn't look comfortable. “Something wrong?” 

“Nothing. Just lost in thought.”

“Is it..about what happened before the surgery?” Aoba asked and Mink snorted. “Surprised you remember.”

“Well I mean...it's hard not to considering it was a really good and deep kiss.”

“Not as deep as I would have liked.” he teased and Aoba blushed. 

“Do you...want to kiss again?”

“Not before I ask you some questions.” Mink told him and Aoba looked nervous.

“I have a theory as to why your hanahaki suddenly started going away.”

“Really!?”

“Aoba...did you fall for me or begin to have feelings?”

Oh...that was embarrassing. “I...” Aoba looked away, unable to vocally say anything. Maybe he was wrong? Maybe he shouldn't have kissed Mink, maybe the two of them being together was a hopeless and futile dream and—Aoba stopped thinking as Mink kissed him. 

He moaned into the kiss, feeling the other deepen it and feeling himself being taken in.Mink's tongue brushed Aoba's lower lip and he happily opened his mouth, enjoying the sensation inside of his mouth. Mink groaned himself, pulling the other in closer and closer. Soon enough, the two were pressing so tightly together that neither of them had space between their chests.

Aoba whimpered, clinging to the other tightly and tugging on his lab coat.

Mink pulled back, trailing kisses down the others neck and biting into the junction of Aoba's neck and shoulder. The smaller gasped, clinging tighter and tugging more on the others coat.

“M-Mink...” he whispered, wincing at the feeling in his chest. “O-Ow...”

“Are you alright?” Mink asked, pulling back. “Let me check your surgical incision.” Mink demanded, tugging the others tunic down enough to see the bandage over the younger male's chest. Aoba whined and Mink pulled back.

“W-Wait...” Aoba begged, reaching for him. 

“We'll have to wait. I don't want you to feel pain due to my own carnal urges.” He told him, drawing the blankets up higher around the other. Aoba whined, looking extremely disappointed. Mink sighed, ruffling the others hair again. 

“You need to heal first. Then we can finish.” And with that, Mink turned to leave but Aoba quickly gripped onto his arm. 

“So...what does this make us?”

Mink smiled. “Whatever you'd like.”

 

It took 3 weeks for Aoba to properly heal, and during that time a lot changed. Aoba's Hanahaki didn't return and was showing signs of staying that way. 

Mink stayed by his side the entire time, and Koujaku had made himself scarce. It was sad for Aoba, but maybe Mink was right. Maybe the other was bad for him. But he'd dwell on that thought later.

Tonight was a special evening for him and Mink, a real date that didn't involve grocery shopping and finally they'd get to finish what they started in the hospital room. The moment they entered Mink's home, the smaller male pulled Mink into a teeth shattering kiss. 

Mink groaned, lifting the other up and carrying him upstairs. Aoba's legs wrapping around the others waist as he was carried and as soon as they entered the bedroom Aoba was dropped onto the bed with a soft 'squeak' sort of sound. 

It took only a moment for the other to recover from the drop before Mink was on top of him with another kiss. Hands moving up his shirt and removing it and vice versa. In between kissing, biting, and pulling off clothing, Mink ground into the other tightly. 

“O-Oh fuck.” Aoba gasped, watching Mink kiss down his chest. 

“Should I stop?”

“N-No...y-you should go faster.” 

Mink smirked. “Impatient?”

“Very.” he whined, bucking his hips and that earned him a soft groan from Mink. 

“So demanding.”

“What ya gonna do about it?” Aoba teased, biting his lip. Mink groaned, moving up and kissing him deeply now, sliding Aoba's pants off his legs and slipping two fingers into the boy, beginning to stretch him. Aoba gasped, clinging to the other tightly. 

“Mink!”

“Sh~”

Mink wasted no time preparing the other and soon removed his fingers and moved right in. The need and the want between the two of them was so powerful, so strong, it took no time before they were rocking into each other with a fierce emotion and feeling that Aoba wasn't going to last long. 

Aoba whined and reached down to stroke himself, but Mink quickly pinned a hand above the others head to prevent it. Using his free hand to stroke him instead. Aoba squealed, eyes watering and drool dripping down his chin. It felt so good. So, so, so good. 

“M-Mink! I-I'm gonna cum!” he whimpered. 

“Then cum. Cum for me.” he whispered, and he did. It took Mink a few more thrusts before he came deep inside the other as well. 

They laid together like that for awhile; Mink laying on Aoba and Aoba simply holding onto Mink so tight he was afraid it was all only going to be a dream and he'd wake up tomorrow and none of it was real. 

But it was real. 

They were real.  
And this bliss was real.  
He was so thankful.


End file.
